Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, facsimile machine, or copier.
Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus which forms an image such as a character, a picture, or a photograph on a recording medium is widely used. In a surface of an operation portion of the image forming apparatus, there is arranged a push button for use in inputting a signal for stopping (or starting) an image forming action.
In the image forming apparatus, there has been developed a technique of inputting print data by using near field communication. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-157532 discloses a printing system which forms an image by inputting print data into an image forming apparatus by using near field communication from an electronic camera, a mobile phone terminal, a tablet personal computer or the like.
In the case of inputting print data into an image forming apparatus by using near field communication, a user needs to be authenticated by the image forming apparatus while holding an equipment body, from which the print data is to be transmitted, or an authentication medium such as an IC card close to a receiving portion of the image forming apparatus. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-157532, the receiving portion is arranged in an operation portion where a push button related to the start or stop of an image forming action is provided.
Therefore, when bringing the equipment body or the authentication medium close to the receiving portion, the user might push the push button related to the start or stop of an image forming action by mistake, which leads to an input of an instruction related to the start or stop of the image forming action unfavorably.